Folding machine



July 19, 193 T. N. DELIGIANES ET AL FOLDING MACHINE Filed Ma roh 3. 1951 i I I I I aver Patented July 19. 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS N. DELIGIANES AND ANDREAS A. BOURDES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FOLDING MACHINE Application filed March 3,

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in folding machines especially designed and adapted for folding paper napkins to be used in connection with containers from which the napkins are manually dispensed, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved construction of this 1931 semi No. 519,771.

rollers also function as creasing rollers wher character which will be highly efficient in use butting rollers is provided with a blade memand economical in manufacture.

' Among the salient objects of the invento of to facilitate dispensing the napkin from a container.

.Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form of constructiomand in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail view of our improved napkin folding machine;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View of the same (tiaken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. :5 1; an

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary part sectional de tail view of the same taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 10 indicates a fold member supported from the framework 11 in any suitable manner. This fold member in the present instance is preferably triangular in formation and is adapted to have passed therethrough a continuous strip of material 12 to be folded longitudinally upon itself. Adjacent the apex 13 of this fold member is a pair of cooperating feed rollers 14 likewise supported from the framestructure 11 in any suitable 5 manner. These rollers 14 while acting as feed beri16 adapted at a predetermined time to enter into a slot 17 formed transversely .in the other of the cutting rollers whereby to sever the folded strip -at a point indicated at 18. Simultaneously with this severing of the strip of material thatportion of the strip below the line of severance is engaged by a feed plate 19 which functions to direct the severedv strip of paper between a fold roller 20 which co-operates with the adjacent cutting roller to fold one end'portion of the severed strip upon itself. This feed plate is carried by a bar 21 slidably mounted within a guide structure 22 and operable in a reciprocatory manner by means of a rotatable disc 23 having a cam slot 24 formed therein to receive a roller member 25 carried by the bar 21 and operable in this cam slot.

The severed strip of material indicated at 26 is directed between the fold roller 20 and the adjacent cutting roller so as to dispose the folded end portion of the severed strip in the position indicated at 27 disposing the unfolded end portion of the severed strip 1n a plane above a fold roller 28 which cooperates with the fold roller 20 to fold this end portion back upon itself when forced between the rollers 20 and 28 by means of a feed plate 29 carried by an arm 30 mounted on a shaft 31 for an oscillatory movement. The oscillation of the arm 30 is accomplished by means of a gear 32 mounted on the shaft 31 and operably meshing with a rack bar '33 mounted for longitudinal movement in a guiding structure 34 provided by a housing 2 including a pair of folding rollers, means in a guiding structure 41 provided by the housing 35. Reciprocation of'this rack bar is accomplished by means of a disc 42 having a cam slot 43 formed therein into which is operatively mounted a roller 44 carried by the end 45 of the rack bar 40. The disc 23 and disc 42 are mounted upon a shaft 46 which is operated by power driven mechanism (not shown) of any suitable structure.

The rollers 20 and 28 are mounted upon shafts 47 supported in parallel relation between plates 48 between which these rollers 20 and 28 are arranged. Carried by the plates and extending transversely therebetween are pin members 49 and 50. To'the pin members 49 and 50 there are secured the end portions 51 of a plurality of wire members 52 and 52. substantially circular in crosssection and mounted to extend in grooves 53 formed in the roller 20 in opposed relation.

Also secured to the plates 48 and extending therebetween is a pin 55 having secured there to the end portions 56 of wire members 57 likewise substantially circular in cross-section and having their outer end portions confined in grooves 58..

I As will be obvious, these wire members prevent the severed strip of material from being fed around the fold rollers. It will be apparent that as the severed strip leaves the fold roller 20 and adjacent cutting roller 15, the wire members 57 will deflect the folded end portion of the severed strip into the position illustrated in Fig. 1 at 27 It is pointed out that the movable parts of our machine are so timed as to perform their respective functions at the proper time.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention.' We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A folding machine of the class described including a pair of folding rollers, means for feeding a strip of material between said rollers, means associated with one of said rollers for preventing the said strip to wind itself upon said one of the rollers, a folding roller adapted to co-operate with one of said folding rollers for folding said strip upon itselfat its opposite end portion, and means for feeding said strip between said folding roller and said one of the folding rollers.

2. A folding machine of-the class described for feeding a strip of material between said rollers, means associated with one of said .rollers for preventing the said strip to wind itself upon said one of the rollers, a folding roller adapted to co-operate with one of said folding rollers for folding said strip upon itself at its opposite end portion, means for feeding said strip between said folding roller and said one of the folding rollers, and means and functioning to prevent said strip from winding itself upon either of said rollers.

4. A machine for the purpose set forth comprising cutting mechanism for cutting a web into strips of predetermined lengths, means for folding the opposite end portions of each strip transversely upon and on opposite sides of the intermediate section thereof to provide finger tabs each of a length less than the length of said intermediate section.

5. A machine for the purpose set forth comprising cutting mechanism for cutting a Web into strips of predetermined lengths, and

folding mechanism including means for successively and transversely engaging each strip at opposite sides thereof whereby to fold the end portions of the strip upon and on opposite sides of the intermediate portion thereof.

A machine of the class described coma prlslng cutting rollers, a folding member operative with one of the cutting rollers, a member for feeding one end portion of a strip cut from a length of material by the cutting rollers in a direction for passage between the folding member and said one of the cutting rollers whereby the end portion of the strip will be folded upon itself by passage between said folding member and said one of the cutting rollers, a second folding member operative with the said first named folding member, and a second member for-feeding the opposite end portion of the strip for passage between said first and second named folding members whereby said opposite end portion of the strip will be folded upon itself in an opposite direction by passage between said first and second named folding members.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures.

THOMAS N. DELIGIANES. ANDREAS A. BOURDES. 

